Medtronic recall - for those of you who have Medtronic ICDs, please read about the lead they are recalling. Check with your doctor if you believe you may have the lead that is causing concern. Medtronic, as usual, is forthcoming about the recall and being proactive with information.

Of course this is something to investigate, but to put it into some perspective,"If somebody is at risk of sudden death and they have an event, and they don't have a defibrillator, their mortality is 95%," Lindsay told Dow Jones Newswires. There is at least a 99% chance, meantime, that defibrillators will function properly when called upon to help such patients, he said, as quoted in CNN Money.com yesterday.

My son and husband are doing very well. I haven't updated the blog in a while because they have not had any problems or events, and I really haven't learned much new about Brugada Syndrome. Occasionally I read an interesting blog, usually written by a medical student. But I haven't seen new research published that points to anything of major significance.

I was very saddened to learn that a beloved member of the Brugada family, their sister Dolors, died suddenly at the age of 50 of sudden cardiac death. It is a cruel irony that the very condition these men are dedicating their careers to study, sudden cardiac death, should take one of their own. My deepest sympathy goes out to them, especially Ramon, whom I have the privilege of knowing.

Several months ago I attended a dinner dance in my town to raise money for the American Heart Association and awareness for Women's Heart Health. It was a beautiful event! The ballroom theme was elegantly black and red; the dress was formal or semi-formal. Small tables and chairs were arranged here and there, and a fabulous band played in the background as people mingled. The highlight of the evening was a fashion show, and local celebrities paraded down the runway in their dressiest red and black. From tuxedos to elaborate costumes, it was all there! Everyone in the fashion show had a personal, intimate connection to heart disease.

The event was organized by my good friend, Gwen Webber-McLeod, who lost a young beautiful sister to heart disease just a few years ago. A compelling and dynamic speaker, Gwen gave a riveting tribute to her sister.

I just want to share a photo of one of the fashion plates' heads (above, he kindly allowed his chrome to be painted with the evening's theme logo). His name is Jim, and he has an implanted defibrillator.

This November I hope that I can persuade my son and husband to stroll down the runway in their snazziest suits.

Random news from here

Dave is settling into college for the spring semester and seems happy with most things, including the courses that he's taking. Only drawback he's found so far is the food fare for a vegan. He stopped eating all meat products about six months ago. At home here it's been a welcome challenge for him because we have several stores and restaurants that cater to vegan diets, and he enjoys cooking new recipes. But living in a dorm and using the food plan, he will have to adjust somewhat to their offerings, combined with trips out to the local markets.

I run a community leadership program and we just completed our opening retreat for this year's class. Late one night, after the sessions had ended, someone in the class showed the movie, "The Core" which is a 2003 thriller with Hilary Swank. It looked like lighthearted fare after a busy day, so I settled in to watch it, too. The first scene is about 32 people who all die at the same moment within a 20 block radius. The only thing they have in common: they all have pacemakers! This was a wacky movie, and very far-fetched, but it did grab my attention. Yikes!

Healthwise things are quiet these days with both my husband and son. Checkups have been routine. I continue to seek out information and news about Brugada Syndrome and ICDs.